Spark recording apparatus and method



Dec. 14, 1965 I s. HAWLEY 3,224,008

SPARK RECORDING APPARATUS AND ME'IHUD Filed Aug. 16, 1960 a Sheets$heet1 020% SEEM/L 5 Y J N VEN TOR.

1965 J. s. HAWLEY 3,224,008

SPARK RECORDING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Aug. 16, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet2 i/ZCK SJYZWLEY INVENTOR.

Dec. 14, 1965 J. s. HAWLEY SPARK RECORDING APPARATUS AND METHOD 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 16, 1960 Mmq H I I IHHMH ([dCK 5. HA WL E YJNVENTOR.

/ X W W ,4 7'7'OPA/E Y5 United States Patent M 3,224,008 SPARK RECORDINGAPPARATUS AND Marrron Jack S. Hawley, Berkeley, Calif, assignor, bymesne as- This invention relates to a recording apparatus and method andmore particularly to a recording apparatus and method for use with papertape.

In copending application Serial No. 819,294, filed June 10, 1959,entitled System, Apparatus and Method for Recording and Sensing, thereis disclosed a recording apparatus and method by which holes are burnedin a paper tape. I With such apparatus, the holes must be burned in thetape sequentially unless additional power supplies are provided. Sincethis is the case, separate distributing means must normally be provided.In addition, in such apparatus, difiiculty has been encountered withrespect to registration of the holes to permit accurate and reliablereading of the information recorded on the tape. There is, therefore,also a need for improving the registration of the information placed inthe tape.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide arecording apparatus and method which overcomes the above nameddisadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus andmethod of the above character in which registration holes are burned inthe tape to facilitate reading of the tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus ofthe above character in which means is provided for sampling binaryinformation to be recorded in synchronization with the rotation of arecording head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus ofthe above character in which the high voltage arcing point moves backand forth across the tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus ofthe above character into which the tape may be easily threaded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus ofthe above character in which a particularly unique recording head isutilized.

Another object of the invention is to provide a record- 'ing apparatusand method of the above character in which the tape is advancedcontinuously and in which the recording head is rotated continuously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus andmethod of the above character in which the holes are burned into thetape one at a time in a plurality of channels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recording apparatus ofthe above character which is relatively simple and inexpensive toconstruct.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing description in which the preferred embodiment has been setforth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a recording apparatus incorporating myinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a rear view thereof.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the apparatusshown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view of the recording head.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head.

3,224,008 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional viewtaken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 8 is a block diagram of the electrical circuitry for therecording apparatus.

FIGURE 9 is a view of a portion of paper tape on which a recording hasbeen made with my recording apparatus.

In general, my recording apparatus consists of a recording head, meansfor continuously rotating the recording head, and means for continuouslyadvancing paper tape past the recording head, and means including therecording head for incinerating small holes into the paper tape in asequential manner in a plurality of channels as the tape is advancedpast the recording head.

As shown in the drawings, my recording apparatus consists of a papertape transport mechanism 11 comprised of pay-off and take-up reels orspools '12 and 13. The reels !12 and 13 are rotatably mounted on thefront side of a base frame 14. A lever 16 is pivotally mounted on theframe 14 at 17 and carries a roller 18 which is adapted to engage a tape15 as it is payed from the payoff reel 12 and a brake shoe 20 is adaptedto engage a brake drum 26 which rotates with reel 12. Spring means (notshown) is provided for yieldably urging the lever 16 and the brake shoe20 against the brake drum 26, with pressure inversely proportional tothe tension of the tape 15 passing over roller 18. The tape 15 passesbetween a recording head 19 rotatably mounted on the frame 14 and acontact carrying member 21. The tape is then engaged by a capstan 22which is provided with a rubber sleeve 23 covering its exterior surface.The tape 15 is then threaded onto the take-up reel 13.

A roller 24 is pivotally mounted on the frame 14 by a lever arm 27 andis yieldably urged into engagement with the lower side of the capstan 22by spring means (not shown) engaging the lever arm 27 to maintain thetape in continuous frictional engagement with the capstan.

Suitable motive means such as a motor 31 is provided for driving thetape transport mechanism and the recording head. The motor drives apinion 32. The pinion drives gear 33. Gear 33 drives gear 34 becausegear 34 is mounted on the same shaft as gear 33. Gear 34 drives gear 36which is afi'ixed to a shaft 37. The recording head 13 is aflixed on theshaft 37 and rotates with the shaft 37. A distributor head 38 is alsoaflixed on the shaft 37 and rotates with the shaft 37. A gear 39 isafiixed to the shaft 37 and drives a gear 41. A pinion 42 is aflixed tothe gear 41 and drives a gear 43 rotatably mounted on the shaft 37. Apinion 44 affixed to the gear 43 drives a gear 46 which is provided witha hub 47. The hub 47 drives a spring belt 48 which drives the takeupreel 13. The gear 41 also drives a pinion 49 which drives a programminghead 51. The distributing and programming heads 38 and 51 aresubstantially identical and each include an arm 52 which carries wipingcontacts 53 which are adapted to engage circuitry 54 of the printedcircuit type provided on printed circuit boards 56 and 57 mounted on theframe 14.

The recording head 19 is shown in detail in FIGURES 5 and 6. It consistsof cylindrical hub-like member 61 affixed on the shaft 37 by a pin 62.It is provided with a radially extending flange 63 and a threadedportion 64. A plurality of washers 66 is mounted on the hub-like member61 and is formed of a suitable insulating material such as Teflon. Acontact member 67 is provided on nine of the washers which are numbered1-8 and S, as shown in FIGURE 5. The contact members are formed of asuitable material such as platinum and preferably are in the form ofrelatively thin segments such as segments having a thickness of 1 miland subtending approximately 36. As shown, each of the washers isprovided with a hole 68 so that the washers can be aligned on a pin 69aflixed to the outer portion of the flange 62. As also will be notedfrom FIGURE 5 of the drawing, the contact members 67 are arranged sothat they are staggered angularly about the shaft 37 with very little,if any, overlap. The contact members 67 are mounted on the washers inany suitable manner such as by cement.

With the particular type of recording head shown in the drawing, twelveof the washers 66 are provided, with one additional Teflon washer beingprovided at one end. A metal washer 71 is placed on the end away fromand isaifixed to the hub by suitable means such as by peening the outerend of the hub-like member 61 to hold the washer 71 in place and to alsohold the washers 66 in place. An additional flange member 72 of suitablematerial such as nylon is provided with a cylindrical recess 73. It ismounted over the flange portion 63 of the hub-like member 61 and is heldin place by a nut 74 threaded onto the threaded portion 64 of thehub-like member 61.

The contact carrying member is shown particularly in FIGURES 4 and 7 andconsists of a member 76 of suitable insulating material such as nylonwhich is pivotally mounted on a stud shaft 77 aflixed to the frame 14. Acontact member is affixed to the bottom side of the insulating member 76and is in the form of a leaf spring which has one end affixed to theblock by suitable means such as screws 79. The contact member 78 isformed in such a manner as provided with a down-turned edge 7 8a which,in effect, presents a relatively straight elongate knife edge surface tothe recording head. This edge lies in a plane parallel to the axis ofthe recording head and is normally spaced a predetermined distance fromthe recording head. Means is provided for adjusting the position of theedge 73a with respect to the insulating member 76 and consists of screwsmounted in the member 76 which engage the contact member 78.

A resilient spring finger 82 is also mounted on the insulating member 76and is in electrical contact with the contact member 78 through thescrews 79. This finger 82 is adapted to engage a stationary contact 83mounted on the frame 14 but insulated therefrom.

Detent means is provided for maintaining the contact member in either anincinerating position or an out-ofthe-way position. It consists of aspring urged ball 86 mounted in the frame and adapted to engage a recess87 provided in insulating member 76. When the contact carrying member 21is in the out-of-the-way position, the paper tape 15 may be readilythreaded over the recording head 19. When the contact carrying member 21is in this position, the finger 82 is out of engagement with thestationary contact 83 carried by the frame. When the ball 86 is inengagement with recess 87, the contact carrying member 21 is in anincinerating position and the finger 82 is in engagement with thecontact 83, as shown particularly in FIGURE 4.

In FIGURE 8 is shown a block diagram of the electrical circuitry for therecording apparatus. It consists of a low voltage supply 91 of a typewell known to those skilled in the art. The low voltage supply isconnected to a programmer 92 which in the embodiment herein disclosedconsists of the programming head 51 and the printed circuit 57. Theprogrammer is connected to a plurality of transducers 93 of any desiredtype which are utilized for measuring a desired parameter such asmoisture, temperature and the like. It is only necessary that the transducer include circuitry which gives information on the position of anelement in decimal form, the position of the element being determined bythe parameter measured by the transducer. The transducers are connectedto a diode matrix 94 which converts the decimal information into adesired code, such as a two-out-of-five code, and may be of the typedisclosed in copending application Serial No. 819,294, filed June 10,1959. The diode matrix is connected to a distributor 96 which consistsof the distributing head 38 and the printed circuitry 56. The

distributor supplies a low voltage input to a high voltage supply 97also of a type described in copending application Serial No. 819,294,filed June 10, 1959. The high voltage supply is connected to the contactmember 78 which overlies the grounded recording head 16.

Operation of my apparatus in performing my method may now be brieflydescribed asfollows. The low voltage source 91 provides a low voltagewhich is supplied by the programmer 92 to the transducers 93. Thetransducers 93 apply the low voltage to the appropriate input terminalsof the diode matrix 94. The output of the diode matrix 94 is sampled bythe distributor 96 and is applied by the distributor to the low voltageinput of the high voltage supply 97. The high voltage supply 97 providesa high voltage which is supplied to the contact member 78 where an arcis created between the contact member 78 and the recording head 16 toburn a hole in the paper tape.

The gearing is such that the distributor head 38 and the recording head19 make one complete revolution for every increment of advance by theprogramming head. It should be understood, however, that the recordinghead, the programming and distributing heads rotate continuously andthat there is no start and stop movement of the same. In eifect, thedistributor head is a bit sampler, whereas the programming head is adigit sampler. The programmer can have any number of digits desireddepending upon the number of transducers which it is desired to utilize.

The distributor head and the recording head are synchronized in. such amanner that when the distributor head is sampling the first position,the number one contact member of the recording head is underlying theknife edge of the contact member 7 8. In effect, the distributor head issampling the data in the first channel and is looking for a negativevoltage from the diode matrix. When a nega tive voltage is received, thehigh voltage arcs across from the knife edge 78A to the contact segment67 underlying the sameand incinerates a hole in the paper in the man nerdescribed in copending application Serial No. 819,294, filed June 10,1959. The circuit is established through the contact member carried bythe Teflon washers to the metal cylindrical member 61 to ground throughthe base frame 14 through the shaft 37.

After the first channel has been scanned, the second channel is scanned,and so forth. All the time during this scanning operation, the tape isbeing advanced continuously by the capstan 23 and the recording head isrotated continuously. This scanning procedure continues until all of thechannels have been scanned, after which the distributing head returns toscan the first channel again, and to continue the procedure. During thistime, the programming head has advanced to the next digit or transducer.

In the embodiment shown, eight channels of information can be sampledand recorded; An additional channel is provided for recordingsynchronizing or registration holes in the paper. As shown in FIGURE 9,this ninth hole for registration purposes is burned or incinerated intothe paper between the third and fourth holes counting from the chassisside of the tape. However, it is burned last int-o the tape in thisposition because this is the same position in which sprocket holes arenormally placed in a conventional tape. This ninth holeestablishes aregistration for the other holes so that they can be properly read by areading device. By placing the registration holes into the paper in thismanner, it has been found that great accuracy is not required for theplacement of the other holes in the tape.

If desired, the registration holes can be burned in any channel of thetape. In fact, the holes for any channel can be burned in any sequencedesired and need not necessarily be in the sequence shown in FIGURE 7.The spacing between the holes is thesame as the thickness of the washers66. In one embodiment of the invention, ai spacing of 62 /2 mils wasfound to be very satisfactory. In the tape format shown in FIGURE 9,eight channels (positions 13 and 5-9), are perforated in sequence fromthe chassis side of the tape. A synchronizing hole S is placed in thefourth position. In the last position a space is left for Starting andstopping the tape.

During the creation of the spark, the knife edge 78a serves as oneelectrode and the contact member 67 corresponding to the position of thedistributing head 37 serves as the other electrode. The arcing actuallymoves back and forth along the knife edge as recording occurs. Only onehole is burned at a time and they are burned in sequence as therecording head rotates. FIGURE 9 shows the holes which are burned whenlow voltage is applied to all of the output terminals of the diodematrix.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that I have provided a new andimproved recording apparatus and method. Since the tape is advancedcontinuously and the recording head rotates continuously as well as theprogrammers and distributors, high speed operation is possible. There isno stop and start motion which normally limits record ing operations.

I claim:

1. In a recording apparatus for recording information on paper tape, asubstantially cylindrical recording head, the recording head having aplurality of discrete contact elements spaced longitudinally andcircumferentially of the recording h ad and lying in a plurality ofparallel planes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of therecording head, means for rotating the recording head, means foradvancing the tape past one side of the recording head, conducting meansmounted adjacent to the re cording head and the other side of the tapeand means for applying a voltage between the contact elements and theconducting means to create arcing between the conducting means and therecording head to burn the tape for re cording data in a plurality ofchannels spaced laterally of the paper tape.

2. In a recording apparatus for recording information on paper tape, arecording head, conducting means mounted adjacent to the recording head,means for advancing the tape between the recording head and theconducting means, and means to apply high voltage to create arcingbetween the connecting means and the recording head to burn holes in thetape, said recording head comprising a hub, a plurality of washers ofinsulating material mounted on said hub, segments of conducting materialmounted on said washers, said segments being spaced circumferentiallyand laterally of the hub, said segments being arranged so that arcingcan be established between the conducting means and only one of thesegments at a time.

3. A recording apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said hub is formed ofconducting material and wherein said segments of conducting material arein electrical contact with the hub.

4. A recording apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the conducting meanscomprises a block, a contact member having a knife-like edge mounted onthe block, means for positioning said block relative to the recordinghead, and means carried by the block for adjusting the position of theknife-edge of the contact member relative to the recording head.

5. -In a recording apparatus for recording information on paper tape, aplurality of transducers measuring different parameters, each transducerhaving different output information, a low voltage supply, programmingmeans connecting the low voltage supply to the transducers, distributingmeans for sequentially sampling the output from the transducers, a highvoltage supply controlled by the distributing means, conducting meansconnected to one side of the output of the high voltage supply, arecording head connected to the [other side of the high voltage supply,and means for advancing the tape between the conducting means and therecording head.

6. Recording apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said recording head isrotated continuously and wherein said paper tape is advancedcontinuously.

7. Recording apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said programming means anddistributing means operates in a timed relationship with the recordinghead.

8. Recording apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said recording head isprovided with a plurality of channels, each of the channels beingprovided with discrete parallel contact elements of conducting materialspaced circumferentially and laterally from each other.

9. In a recording apparatus for recording information on paper tape in aplurality of channels spaced laterally of the tape, a substantiallycylindrical recording head, the recording head having a plurality ofdiscrete conducting segments spaced longitudinally and circumferentiallyof the recording head and lying in a plurality of parallel planes atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the recording head, therecording head also having nonconducting means filling the outerperipheral space between the segments so that the recording headpresents a continuous cylindrical surface, means for rotating therecording head, means for advancing the tape past one side of therecording head, conducting means mounted adjacent the recording head andon the other side of the tape, said conducting means having a relativelysmall surface extending longitudinally of the path of movement of thetape, and means for applying a voltage between the conducting segmentsand the conducting means, said conducting seg ments and said conductingmeans being formed with pointlike surfaces to create electrical currentsbetween the same to mark selected areas in the tape to recordpredetermined information.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9 together with distributor means, a pluralityof transducers measuring different parameters connected to thedistributor means, programming means for selectively and sequentiallyapplying a voltage to each of the transducers to cause the transducersto supply information to the distributor means, means connecting thedistributor means to the means for applying a voltage between theconducting segments and the conducting means so that voltages areapplied to the conducting segments and the conducting means inaccordance with the information supplied from the transducers.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein means is provided for synchronizingmovement of the head with the distributor.

12. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said conducting means and saidrecording head are provided with means for burning synchronizing orregistration marks in the tape longitudinally of the tape.

13. In a recording apparatus for recording information on a paper tapein a plurality of channels, a plurality of transducers measuringdifferent parameters, a power supply, programming means selectively andsequentially conmeeting the power supply to the transducers,distributing means connected to the transducers for determining theoutputs from the transducers, and means including a voltage supplyconnected to the distributing means for recording marks on the papertape in accordance with the outputs of the transducers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,432,303 12/1947Fox 34674 2,527,599 10/1950 Terry 34674 2,825,621 3/1958 Alexander 346742,836,651 5/1958 Johnson 1786.6 2,937,064 5/1960 Walsh 34674 3,020,1182/1962 Smith 34674 3,095,569 6/1963 Smith 34674 IRVING L. SRAGOW,Primary Examiner. NEWTON N. LOVEWELL, ELI I. SAX, Examiners.

1. IN A RECORDING APPARATUS FOR RECORDING INFORMATION ON PAPER TAPE, ASUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL RECORDING HEAD, THE RECORDING HEAD HAVING APLURALITY OF DISCRETE CONTACT ELEMENTS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ANDCIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE RECORDING HEAD AND LYING IN A PLURALITY OFPARALLEL PLANES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THERECORDING HEAD, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE RECORDING HEAD, MEANS FORADVANCING THE TAPE PAST ONE SIDE OF THE RECORDING HEAD, CONDUCTING MEANSMOUNTED ADJACENT TO THE RECORDING HEAD AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TAPEAND MEANS FOR APPLYING A VOLTAGE BETWEEN THE CONTACT ELEMENTS AND THECONDUCTING MEANS TO CREATE ARCING BETWEEN THE CONDUCTING MEANS AND THERECORDING HEAD TO BURN THE TAPE FOR RECORDING DATA IN A PLURALITY OFCHANNELS SPACED LATERALLY OF THE PAPER TAPE.